


Through shapeless worlds

by MagicalDragon



Series: Ishan Lavellan [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dalish Elven Culture and Customs, Dalish Elves, Dalish Religion, Fantastic Racism, Fictional Religion & Theology, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 14:38:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13503633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagicalDragon/pseuds/MagicalDragon
Summary: Bits and pieces related to canon dialogue or situations, modified to account for Ishan's Elfy-ness.





	1. In the Exalted Plains

“Ma serannas,” Ishan told the hahren hunter. 

“Da’mes,” the hahren said. “I’m Olafin of clan Hawen.”

“I’m Ishan,” Ishan said. “This is Solas, Sera and The Iron Bull.”

“Well met,” Olafin said. “Which clan do you hail from?”

“Lavellan,” Ishan said. 

Olafin nodded for a moment, then the implication seemed to dawn on him.

“Lavellan? Are you this Inquisitor the shemlen keep talking about, then?”

“The one and only….” Ishan said with a sigh. He knew what was coming.

“They call you the Herald of Andraste, do they not?”

“They do,” Ishan said. “And I wish they wouldn’t. Dirthamen knows I’ve tried to dissuade them.”

Olafin chuckled. 

“Still a true son of the Dales, then?” 

“Tel’ashi - that’s another thing the shemlen get wrong - but ir aravas halani var vhen.”

“That is good to know, da’len,” Olafin said. “If you have the time, I’m sure our clan could use a bit of help. We’ve been stuck for a while. Might be some trade in it for you, too.”

“Ma serannas, hahren,” Ishan said.

“We best get going now, ” Olafin said. “Dareth shiral.”

“Dareth shiral,” Ishan replied, the familiar words falling off his tongue comfortably 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not all of the Elven words are canon, but most of them are.
> 
> Ma serannas: Thank you  
> Da'mes: Costumary respond to "Ma serannas"  
> Tel'ashi: Not a man  
> ir aravas halani var vhen: I travel this path to help our people  
> Dareth shiral: Safe journeys


	2. Fen'Harel statue at the Temple of Mythal

“I thought the ancient elves above quaint superstitions.”

“Excuse me?” Ishan said.

Morrigan gave him a look. 

“You cannot truly believe such statues guard you from demons, Inquisitor?”

“I can’t?” Ishan asked. “And why not?”

“Demons do not frighten at the sight of small statues! Surely the mages of your clan must know as much, even if they leave the rest of you in ignorance.”

Ishan clenched his teeth and waited till he could say what he wanted without yelling. 

“I’ll be straightforward: I don’t care about your opinion on this matter, Lady Morrigan,” he said. “You can believe whatever you like, but I will not have you insult my kin and our traditions to my very face.”

“Right, then,” Morrigan said. “I still find it unlikely the statue served the same purpose here that it does in your clans, if you’ll hear my opinion on that.”

“Perhaps we can send for historians once this is over. I know of a couple of hahren who might have some insight.”

The thought of showing this place to people who would be able to discern more from it than he, record it, and make it known to their people, excited Ishan and almost let him forget his anger at Morrigan.

“The inhabitants of this place may not appreciate guests,” Solas said.

Ishan sighed dejectedly. Solas was right. Yet again, the past was denied them.


	3. Rituals at The Temple of Mythal

“I’m sorry, ma vhenan,” Ishan said, meeting Bull’s eyes.”I’m going to do the rituals.”

“Why?” Bull demanded.

“I’m devoted to our soldiers, but I can’t turn from Mythal for them. I know you don’t understand, but I have to do this.”

Ishan could tell Bull still didn’t like it.

“Let me offer you a more practical way to think of it, Iron Bull,” Solas said. “We don’t know what disrespecting this place might entail; we can’t be sure that the hole would actually be the quickest route.”

“I suppose so,” Bull said. 

Ishan gave him a weak apologetic smile, before carrying on ahead.


	4. Morrigan being wrong at the Temple of Mythal

“Tis said the Dalish invoke her before a chase. Especially if they happen to be stalking humans.”

“My clan avoided human settlements, never mind raiding them.”

“A sound tactic, if one has room to maneuver out of harm’s way. Other Dalish clans do not keep so scrupulously hidden.”

Ishan could feel his temper rising. 

“You presume to know more about other Dalish clans than I, Lady Morrigan? I have been to Artlathvhen, I have spoken with the other of my people in the inquisition and on my travels and I can tell you this: so called human hunts do not happen. The tales that claim otherwise are stories of mutual aggression or even defense turned into tales of elven violence.”

“You seem very certain of that, inquisitor,” Morrigan merely said. 

“I am.”

“Personal experience with such things, perhaps?”

Ishan stopped himself from swearing in such a holy place, but he could not stop his anger from being evident in his voice. 

“Yes,” Ishan said icily. ”Yes, I have personal experience, Lady Morrigan. I have a scar on my leg from where a shemlen’s rock hit me as a child. A few years before that, my father was lost to a raid. And yes - because I did take your meaning - yes, I killed for my clan when I was with them, but it was no hunt, no chase as you suggest it. It was survival. The first time I killed a person I was 14 years old and trying to save the life of another child, who ended up dying anyway. And yes, my clan did find a place where peaceful relations with the local humans was possible, but the reason it usually isn’t is their attacks on us, not the other way around. What you are repeating are smear campaigns, propaganda and I refuse to listen to it. And to say such things in a place of justice, at that!”

Everyone seemed stunned after Ishan’s outburst. It was not often he lost his temper so completely and it was even rarer that he mentioned those events from his past. He preferred to think of all his good memories with his clan, the memories nearest his heart, though these sorrowful memories were perhaps more vital in making him the person he was.

Solas was the first to speak:

“Ir abelas, lethallen.”

“Why? You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Solas didn’t answer that. 

“I…” Morrigan sighed. “I did not mean to imply the Dalish are the aggressors in these conflict, inquisitor Lavellan.”

Ishan sighed as well. 

“And I didn’t mean to yell at you. Let’s just…. keep going.”


	5. Falon'din mosaic at the Temple of Mythal

When Ishan’s eyes fell on one of the mosaics, he gasped. His mouth was dry and his whole body felt weak.

“Is that…”

“Falon’din. Overseer of funerals and guide to the elven dead. I have heard Dalish invoke him on their deathbed or before quests from which they expect no return.”

While Morrigan spoke, Ishan had been trying to get his necklace out from the three layers of clothes and armor it was hidden beneath. Now he held the leather rim with a wooden owl dangling from the end in front of him and mumbled:

“Enan Falon’din.”

This was no place to leave offerings, he knew, but he could not ignore the presence of Falon’din he so keenly felt in this place. Ishan closed his eyes and his hands around carved owl.

“Serannas ma enaste la ghilana. Sulevin then. Tel’enfenim din’an.”

When Ishan opened his eyes again, it was clear his mumbled prayer had not gone unnoticed. 

Iron Bull had seen him do it before and was - as usual - unperturbed. The advantage to Bull having no relationship to any religion was that he treated Ishan’s religion as he treated all others: with quiet bemusement. 

The others were not quite as easy to read. Solas expression was the least readable, but he certainly didn’t seem pleased. Dorian seemed curious and like he might be forcing himself not to comment. And Morrigan…   
“You favor Falon’Din…” She said. 

“Yes,” Ishan merely said. He couldn’t help but feel a bit guarded. 

“That prayer… It was similar to the one I’ve heard hunters invoke, but not the same.”

Ishan hesitated, but then spoke:

“Most prayers to Falon’din should end with “tel’enfenim din’an.” Not the ones for the departed, of course, but it’s customary if you’re saying it for yourself. The rest can be personalised. Most hunters don’t know much Elvish, so they repeat the one their Keeper teach them, but I… well, I know a bit more.”

“Most curious…” Morrigan said. 

“Older legends would suggest his pleasure at your earlier words,” Solas said.

“What do you mean?”

Solas seemed to hesitate a bit before he spoke.

“Merely that some stories paint him as quite vain and hungry for worshippers.”

Ishan chuckled a bit. 

“If that’s true, he might no be very pleased with the state of things. His vallaslin is not exactly the most popular of the bunch.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enan Falon’din: Bless Falon'din  
> Serannas ma enaste la ghilana. Sulevin then. Tel’enfenim din’an: Thank you for favouring and guiding me. I know my purpose. No fear of death.


End file.
